EDITORIAL: Gambling in an election year

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. _ With questions hanging over the legality of electronic bingo, Milton McGregor and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians are placing big bets this election year to protect their multimillion-dollars casino stakes.

They hope their money - more than $4 million so far - will lead to better luck with the Legislature, which this year turned down a proposed constitutional amendment on electronic bingo. A friendly face in the governor's office might improve their odds, too. But you won't always be able to tell whose vote the gamblers are buying because of Alabama's campaign finance law. That's just fine with many lawmakers and other candidates.

Some groups spend a lot of money on elections. Among them are the Alabama Education Association, Alfa, the Business Council of Alabama, nursing homes and banks. Sometimes the money they give to political action committees goes straight to the candidates.

Other times the money may pass through several PACs to hide the source before it reaches the candidates.

So far this election year, McGregor, the Poarch Creeks and Greenetrack have ponied up a total of $4.1 million in campaign donations, according to The Birmingham News.

McGregor gave $1.9 million combined to more than 50 PACs; the Creeks gave $1.4 million to 56 PACs; Greenetrack gave $487,000 to PACs run by track officials.

The odds are that McGregor and the Creeks will keep the money flowing in the three and a half months before the Nov. 2 general election to protect their interests in electronic bingo.

For example, the Creeks' Wind Creek Casino along Interstate 65 at Atmore represents a $245 million investment. McGregor's Victoryland, 20 miles east of Montgomery on Interstate 85, cost $100 million. About eight miles south of Dothan on U.S. 231, a route to Panama City, is Ronnie Gilley's $87 million Country Crossing casino. Also at stake is the bingo casino at Greenetrack in Greene County.

McGregor needs either a favorable state Supreme Court ruling on the legality of electronic bingo or a state constitutional amendment protecting his operation. The Creeks need to try to keep traditional bingo legal. Wind Creek operates under federal rules that allow it to offer electronic bingo even if only paper card bingo is allowed elsewhere in the state.

"It's a life-and-death struggle for them, survive and thrive or shut down," David Lanoe, chair of political science at the University of Alabama, told The News.After the Nov. 2 general election, some Alabama politicians will be able to give thanks for Milton McGregor and the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and their campaign contributions.